ABILENE, TEXAS – The Texas High School Rodeo Association will hold its annual State Rodeo Finals in Abilene, Texas, to crown the best athletes in high school rodeo.

The Taylor County Expo Center will be the home of this year’s Texas High School Rodeo Association’s State Finals on June 4 to 10. During this week long event in Abilene, Texas, contestants will compete in a variety of different rounds to determine who will move on to the National High School Finals Rodeo.

Contestants go through a year-long rodeo season to qualify for the Texas High School Finals and that is no easy feat says Holly Delaune, THSRA’s marketing director, considering Texas has the largest high school rodeo association in the nation. To qualify athletes must be in the top 10 in their event within their region.

“For the entire week, 670 contestants and over 900 horses call Abilene home for the week and the energy is strong”, said Holly DeLaune.

“This is their [the athletes] super bowl for high school rodeo”, DeLaune said. “This is where the elite compete, so the Finals produce a high level of competition and will feature fast runs and high scores throughout the week.”

During the week of the Finals, spectators watch as contestants from across the state of Texas compete in events such as bull riding, bare back riding, saddle bronc, barrel racing, team roping, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, break away, goat tying and polls.

Some special events throughout the week will be:

· Monday, June 5: Director’s Reception

· Tuesday, June 6: The Nation Team Benefit Lunch

· Wednesday, June 7: Cavender’s Special Kids Rodeo and Party

· Thursday, June 8: McCoy’s Mutton Busting and Family Night

· Friday, June 10: WhataRodeo Night and the drawing for a Bloomer Trailer

· Saturday, June 10: Drawing for a Ram truck after the last rodeo event

The Texas High School Rodeo Finals will conclude with the State Championship Belt Buckles being awarded after the last rodeo performance on June 10.

The Texas High School Rodeo Finals, throughout the week, has an attendance of approximately 10,000 people. The finals will also be able to be viewed live online at www.thsra.org for those people who will not be able to make it to Abilene in June.

THSRA is an independent student athletic association whose mission is to “preserve our western heritage through the sport of rodeo.” THSRA currently sponsors over 125 rodeos per year throughout ten regions across Texas. The season starts in August and concludes with the Texas High School Finals Rodeo in June. For more information regarding ways to get involved with THSRA, visit www.thsra.org or call (936) 590-4447.

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